Obama let Sanders have it!

[fun n serious]

It was genius! I loved it

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/5/7/1524279/-Obama-s-Critique-of-Sanders

[Gothmog]

1. Obama gave an amazing speech and I caught the Sanders references

[fun n serious]

3. Yep. I loved it.

I have Bernie supporters in mt twitter mentions saying THEY know more than Obama. Lol!

[Hortensis]

47. I actually sat and listened to this excellent speech,

which I almost never do. Hope a lot of people did. The true believer types couldn't do as he said even if they wanted to, it's not in them, but many others mistaking their rigidity for principle may think a little.

[JDPriestly]

93. Obama was talking about Republicans, not about Bernie.

Bernie has been compromising in politics since the first days of his service as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. That is why he is so popular among Democrats in Vermont. Remember. He won 85-86% of the votes in the Democratic primary there.

Obama was pointing at the lack of compromise on the part of Republicans.

[Gothmog]

98. You are in denial

Sanders was also a target of that speech

[JDPriestly]

99. Did Obama say that?

Is there something specific in the speech that makes you think that?

[Ed Suspicious]

2. OK. Third way is bending it the wrong way.

[SHRED]

4. You mean the guy who wouldn't allow the public option...

...into the discussion of health care reform?

Color me shocked.

[joshcryer]

9. WTF are you taking about?

The public option passed the House and was in the Senate version up until days before it got cut out.

You must be confused about single payer, which Obama never campaigned on.

[Kentonio]

62. Yet wind back to the far off times of 2003, and..

[quote=Obama]"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its gross national product on health care, cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that's what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. That's what I’d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we've got to take back the White House, we've got to take back the Senate, and we've got to take back the House." [/quote]

[morningfog]

5. That has always been Obama's philosophy and approach.

It has not been developed or tailored as a commentary on Bernie.

[fun n serious]

6. Oh.. I disagree

He spoke about Bernie.. all of it.

[morningfog]

46. Then you haven't paid attention to Obama for the past 8 years.

[JDPriestly]

54. Bernie is the guy who has been in Congress since 1992 and has been known as

the King of Amendments. He is good at compromising. The Veterans' administration bill is just one example of his compromises. John McCain himself complemented Bernie on that bill.

Obama has gotten relatively little done in his presidency.

LBJ, Lyndon B. Johnson, was the master of compromise and getting things done. I question whether we know everything he knew about Kennedy's assassination, but he signed the Civil Rights bills, Medicare and bills that helped the very poor in our country.

Obama could not even get his public option into the ACA.

Republicans don't compromise and make fun of Democrats who do.

Bernie Sanders gets it just about right. He is a man of principle but knows how to bargain.

[DrDan]

69. that's not compromising, it's following

he is riding on the coattails of those who have allies and are willing to put in the effort to get sponsored legislation passed

[CorkySt.Clair]

91. "Obama has gotten relatively little done in his presidency."

Awwww aren't you guys just so cute!


BTW,

Bernie lost.

[JDPriestly]

92. Bernie has not lost yet. What percentages of the votes does Hillary have to get to actually walk

into the convention as the candidate?

What percentage of the votes in the remaining states does she have to get?

It's over 60 I believe. And the largest of the remaining states are very liberal.

Most of the Hillary voters in California are the low information voters. I'm out there talking to people. People who know politics and understand what is going on support Bernie.

This primary is not over.

[BlueStreak]

7. Why are you so interested in alienating 10 million voters that Hillary will need to get elected?

That just doesn't seem very smart to me.

If Hillary is not able to reason through this one, I sure don't want her dealing with Putin.

[fun n serious]

14. Alienating how?

I am suppose to sit and do nothing about all these anti Hillary threads? WHY? WHY can Bernie supporters have free speech but not me?

[ebayfool]

23. You have plenty of latitude for your 'free speech' judging from transparency page ...

aren't you lucky that admin gave free rein to post anything, ANYTHING!, and still get to post?

[fun n serious]

25. Yep. I am lucky

No one shuts my free speech down

[ebayfool]

26. Oh sweet baby jeebus!

The obtuseness is awesome to behold!

[U4ikLefty]

74. Holy crap 20 hides and no time out?

I guess some animals are more equal than others.

[ebayfool]

77. Ayup! Something else, huh!? n/t

[U4ikLefty]

80. Is there some kind of invincibility code for DU that I'm not aware of?

Twenty hides...c'mon.

[ebayfool]

81. Ummm ...

be on the Clinton battleship?

[U4ikLefty]

82. Is that Mutley on your avatar?

[ebayfool]

85. Yupper! And yes, I still love cartoons. I like to laugh, and if no people are around to laugh with -

there is always somethin' on youtube or the bunny earred tv! Life is hard enough, laughter and snirk makes the load easier to bear.


Just looking at Mutley can make anyone smile!

[fun n serious]

84. Animal?

[ebayfool]

94. We are all animals in this zoo. You haven't noticed?

Meat bags. Just waiting our turns, yes?

[KPN]

78. Huh?? Anti-Hillary thread??

This is an anti-Hillary thread????

If so, you are paranoid. That can be the only explanation.

[msongs]

29. as if you control and decide for all those people. but you don't and many of them do not have

the same bias you have (whatever that bias might be)

[timmymoff]

73. Her supporters aren't alienating us, her candiacy and record is

Let her own her flip flops and evolutions, not one thing she could say would make me trust her enough to vote for her. Now her corporateness is seeking out mega donors from jeb bush's campaign. But hey, she's a liberal. It's her turn! well don't expect my help in providing a third Clinton or Obama term. I like Obama, but he is in fact another third way dem.

[BlueStreak]

88. I can accept the "least worst" option of Hillary. I have no choice. But the supporters

seem to be doing her no favors. And I will also say that a small percentage of Bernie's supporters have stoked the fires too.

Here's the reality. The parties are not interested in democracy. And they are not really interested in regular Americans. They are interested in holding as much power as they can. In the process of doing so, they forge alliances with some of the most unsavory, anti-American interests around. There isn't really anything new about that, but today, there really isn't much pretense anymore. Most of it is done openly, as if the American people don't matter at all.

The impact of the Sanders campaign is to shine bright lights on many of these issues. That is a noble cause. But the Sanders campaign needs to make sure it stays within that narrow band where the issues are brought out, but not so damaging as to allow a Republican to win the election. I think Sanders has been pretty responsible in this regard.

The reality as it hits the Clinton campaign is that Sanders supporters are more affluent, more passionate, more educated, and younger than the Hillary supporters. If Hillary doesn't understand this, she is not fit to serve. She needs to get the support of 90% of the Sanders supporters, simple as that. Her supporters who insist on trashing Sanders daily are simply not helping. That is true of individuals here just as it is true of opinion leaders like the Stephanie Miller gang and the Daily Show -- and yes, Barack Obama too.

Alienate those you need as partners at your own peril.

[Trust Buster]

8. The Big "O" took Sanders and his supporters out to the woodshed.

On another thread today I experienced the wrath of about 30 Sanders supporters for daring to use the word "compromise". They sounded absolutely intolerant and ridiculous. Well, the Big "O" spoke those same words more eloquently today.

"Democracy requires compromise, even when you are 100% right. This is hard to explain sometimes. You can be completely right and you still have to engage folks who disagree with you. If you think that the only way forward is to be as uncompromising as possible, you will feel good about yourself, you will enjoy a certain moral security, but you will not get what you want." - President Barak Obama

To all those criticizing me today, I walk away the clear victor.....LOL

[fun n serious]

10. Without compromise you get a dictator.

Maybe that is what they want..

[Trust Buster]

15. I was excoriated earlier today by many in the Sanders crowd for calling on Dems and Repubs to

compromise. I was totally outnumbered but, I knew I was right and stood for principle. I walk in the footsteps of the Big "O"......LOL

[fun n serious]

18. Not compromising is why Bernie has no support

of his colleagues. It's why he lost the primary WEEKS ago.

[Armstead]

27. Bullshit -- Read what Sanders did as mayor

Yoiu may niot support him -- but please at least, learn enough to know what you're talking about

He totally co-opted the Republicans and Business Elites.

He was so pragmatic he "out Republicaned the Republicans" by balancing the budget, building coalitions with business and working with them on things they agreed on, which also pushing progressive goals.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/10/31/socialist-even-conservative-could-love-burlington-mayor-sanders-was-able-out-republican-republicans/SCmh2TLifXxXRPFKC8NMjO/story.html

lhttp://portside.org/2015-06-05/bernies-burlington-what-kind-mayor-was-bernie-sanders

[GulfCoast66]

32. Wow!

He was successful in one of the most liberal small towns in America.

And then got shit done for the next 25 years.

[kaleckim]

48. You seem to think that compromise is and end, not a means towards

an end. The Democrats and Republicans compromised on a wide range of horrific legislation (NAFTA and similar deals, the WTO, the Iraq War, gutting social programs the poor depended on, austerity, school privatization, militarizing the police), etc. People are angry at the impact of those policies. Compromise isn't something to be supported inherently, the end result it produces matters. In the last few decades, there really hasn't been a compromise, business interests and the rich have gotten everything, and the data is clear on that. Decades of stagnating wages, de-industrialization, crumbling infrastructure, an explosion in inequality in recent decades, as well as private debt, the total abandonment of the poor, among other things. Both parties agreed on policies that caused that, and both have moved steadily to the right on economic policy.

Also, even assuming working with them would produce far better outcomes, can you explain the logic as to why in the hell the Republicans would work with Hillary Clinton, of all people, especially to pass policies that benefited the poor, working and middle classes? Explain how they are likely to do a damn thing with her, given that they froth at the mouth when you say the word Clinton.

If independents were allowed to vote in your primaries in open elections, Sanders would be wiping the floor with Clinton, and why would you democratic loving Clinton supporters want a massive amount of young people to join your party?

[fun n serious]

21. They are going to want COMPROMISE real bad at the convention LOL.. nt

[John Poet]

11. Someone should take Obama to the woodshed

for all the ways he let us down.

First and foremost, for continuing everything about the W. Bush fascist security state,
and allowing it to become worse.

Seems to me in most of his "compromises", he's allowed himself
to walk away with the short end of the stick,

and THAT's the problem we have with "compromise".

[fun n serious]

19. You can't FORCE your will on others

You have to compromise. It's essential,

[Armstead]

24. Compromise works two ways you know

That's something some people also seem to forget.

[GulfCoast66]

34. There is a difference

Between compromise and capitulation, something the hard core Bernie supporters do not understand.

[Skwmom]

43. Wow, if this is compromise what in the hell would capitulation look like?

[ljm2002]

66. You are confused...

...we understand the difference; but many of our conservative Democrats do not understand it. They look at the intransigent Republicans and think:

Hmmm, how can we compromise? Oh I know, let's cede 50% going in, before we even start to "negotiate". That will show them we're negotiating in good faith, right?

So then when the "negotiations" start, we've already lost half of our position. Then, as the Republicans continue their intransigent ways, we end up negotiating away another 50% or more. The end result is we end up getting 25% of what we want at best; usually it's more like 10%.

Makes one wonder what the real goal was in the first place.

[GulfCoast66]

72. The irony

Is that exact sentiment is being expressed by the Trump supporters. They think that the Republicans in congress have rolled over to President Obama and the are backing Trump to stop all the compromise they hate.

But you missed the meeting of my post. I guess I did a poor job of explaining myself I was referring to Bernie supporters compromising with the rest of the party. A few of the loudest ones will take nothing except the victory of their candidate. Where as pretty much every Hillary supporter would support Bernie Had he won. Most of us really like him but truly believe he is a weaker candidate and will be a less effective president.

[ljm2002]

75. There are some similarities...

...between Trump supporters and Bernie supporters, in that both represent popular disgust with the ruling elites and with the current state of their respective parties.

I have said elsewhere, and will say again, there is populism and then there is populism. There is right-wing, xenophobic / racist / fascist populism, and there is left-wing, pro-worker, anti-corporate populism. Both have a history in this country. Here's hoping for the rise of left-wing populism and the squashing of right-wing populism.

What the powers that be do not seem to understand, is just how unpleasant life has become for the masses. That is why we are seeing the rise of populist movements.

You say that most of you like him but consider him a weaker candidate. That is fine, I respect that you have a different point of view. But you claimed in the post I responded to that Bernie's supporters do not understand the difference between compromise and capitulation, and that is simply false. We understand all to well that establishment Democrats are in the habit of capitulation, and we are sick and tired of it.

[Demsrule86]

41. I love Pres. Obama

I think he has done a good job...maybe some of the 'purists' who expect the president to use magic to get stuff done should have voted in the mid-terms.

[auntpurl]

58. *mic drop* nt

[kaleckim]

71. Yeah

that massive increase in inequality, the continued de-industrialization, the continued crumbling of infrastructure, the strong push by him to privatize education, giving over a year's worth of GDP since the crash to financial capital and doing nothing for indebted students, homeowners and cash strapped local governments, the push for job killing free trade deals (South Korea has been a disaster on that front, Panama is a now well known tax haven, and Colombia is the deadliest place in the entire world for union organizers), his push for the horrific TPP, his push for austerity and making over 90% of Bush's tax cuts permanent (carried interest, capital gains, estates, carried interest, all benefiting the rich), among other things. Given how much people are struggling, how in the world can anyone say that is about "purity"? How tone deaf is your mindset? It's about the actual impact of policies he and Clinton have supported, not freaking "ideological purity".

[Demsrule86]

103. And where have you been these last eight years did you vote mid term?

We lost the House and the Senate and never had a working majority...you guys are so judgy...but I have never seen such opposition in my lifetime. He saved the economy, got health care after 100 years of trying, gay marriage. One man can not do it all but the president is a stand-up guy and did a great deal. And it is too bad you are don't understand how the real world works.

[kaleckim]

105. "And it is too bad you are don't understand how the real world works."

The hell I don't. I find it that I don't often inhabit the same reality as people like yourself. I understand the actual impact of NAFTA, the WTO (and know what those things actually are, unlike 99.9999% of Democrats), the Telecommunications Act, the gutting of the New Deal financial regulations, the deregulation of derivatives, the push to privatize education (and most everything else, including Social Security under Clinton), I know the data on the three free trade deals under Obama, read many of the documents on the TPP (have you?), know what he is trying to do with TISA and the TTIP, know the data on the decades of stagnating wages, the crumbing infrastructure, the explosion in inequality, the data on de-industrialization, among many other things.

I know these issues and I'd hold my knowledge of them up to you any day. He made modest improvements to the health care system but even with that, health care costs still outpace wage growth for most people, there are still many not covered, the system is still much more inefficient than other systems in developed countries and he even has expanded Medicaid by essentially privatizing Medicaid and changing it over to managed care. So, I appreciate his modest improvements, but also can acknowledge that it is not a solution, it makes some things better, others not so much, and some thing worse.

Tell me though, how did he "save the economy"? Explain how the economy is saved, what fundamental economic problems were not only addressed but solved, and what HE did so save it. Doubly given that you yourself argue that he cannot do it all himself. So even if you could argue that the economy was saved, you can't (I know the data), you yourself would have to acknowledge that HE didn't save it anyway.

Also, what role did HE play in marriage equality? He didn't push for it, he supported it when it was safe. Others did the work to make it safe. He and Clinton were latecomers and did nothing to advance the cause. Please argue otherwise.

I like what he's done with Cuba, but honestly, as Chomsky has noted, the US is completely isolated regarding Cuba in this hemisphere anyway. He deserves credit because of the domestic politics, but not as much as people would like to think. He deserves credit for acknowledging how isolated the US is on the issue and being willing to do something about that, and he deserves credit with the deal with Iran (which Clinton would not have done).

[joshcryer]

13. That's a tough as hell pill to swallow.

So it's no surprise that people who likely aren't involved in civic duty complain behind their keyboards.

[BootinUp]

16. There is no 2 term President that hasn't learned that lesson. nt

[global1]

33. Actually I Think His Comments Were Meant For Hillary....nt

[Demsrule86]

42. Oh no

He pointed out how you have to live the real world...and get stuff done that is possible...definitely pointing to Bernie.

[global1]

44. Oh - I See - Like Putting Your Server In Your Basement....nt....

[Demsrule86]

45. AS it turned out ...not a bad idea

As she was not hacked but the archaic email at state was hacked by the Chinese which is why Rice and Powell used private email...in my opinion, it is way worse to you google or Hotmail as they did.

[Skwmom]

40. Enjoy a moral security - yeah I guess there isn't a lot of moral security in selling out

the American People so you can join the ranks of the 1%.

Compromise aka how to falsely describe the selling out of the American People for one's own benefit.

[JDPriestly]

55. Obama has been singularly unsuccessful in getting Republicans to meet him halfway

on most issues. I think his remark was pointed more at Republicans than at Bernie Sanders.

Republicans haven't gotten what they wanted because Obama won't sign their bills. They are the ones who have refused to compromise.

Bernie has been in Congress since 1992 and has been very successful in representing his constituents and getting amendments passed.

I don't think Obama intended those remarks to mean Bernie. I think he was talking about Republicans who refuse to compromise.

[kaleckim]

12. The logic?

Where to start? He mentioned the Civil Rights movement and the imperfect bills that were crafted in response to their activism and pressure from below. The Civil Rights movement challenged a centuries old system, had a long term vision in mind that wasn't "realistic" in the short term and didn't succeed by only accepting what the political system would allow in the present, and took part in direct action against the system in order to force it to implement changes. That's more like Clinton or Sanders supporters? King also said a thing or two about poverty, socialism, and US imperialism. Again, was that "incrementalist" in the way Clinton supporters are defining it?

He also spoke out against paying too much attention to policy and said the key is to "just vote". Um, vote for what then, if policy shouldn't be so important?

He also said that the country is in better shape than when he was in college. Okay, can anyone make that case and provide data to back the point up? Inequality is less, has de-industrialization not spread and good paying jobs been lost (thanks in large part to an economic model he supports), is infrastructure not crumbling, the environment is in better shape, private debt is less than what it was? We have progressed on some non-economic issues (like marriage equality), but even on that Democrats like him have played absolutely no part, he took stances that were eventually safe thanks to the activism of others.

It's sad what the Democratic Party has become.

He said that pointing out that the system is rigged leads to cynicism and denies "progress". Are there not many studies now showing the large gap between popular opinion on the issues and government policy, are there not studies showing we now have what amounts to an oligarchy? Were banks not his (and Clinton's) largest donors and has he not done tons for those banks? How surprising then that he'd make this argument. Is Citizens United good, or is the argument now that it has no impact?

[ljm2002]

67. +10000! n/t

[G_j]

101. Yes, yes, yes

for those who have ears, let them hear..

[vintx]

17. It seems like Hillary's supporters are fans of spin and PR, and prefer blinders to critical thinking

Keep it up, maybe the party can shrink to below the sad little 29% of the electorate it is now.

Meanwhile, in reality:

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-gets-it-done-sanders-record-pushing-through-major-reforms-will-surprise-you
http://observer.com/2016/03/how-bernie-gets-things-done-in-congress-without-being-bought-off/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/barney-vs-bernie-sanders_b_9624560.html

[Armstead]

22. Oh Sweet Jesus .....He's just giving the same speech he has for years

[Warren DeMontague]

28. Kos Diarist: "that means caring what a Kissinger has to say"?

Maybe when he testifies at his Treason trial.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/08/12/george-will-confirms-nixons-vietnam-treason

[Eric J in MN]

64. Henry Kissinger is as much of a war criminal as Dick Cheney.

By the logic of that writer at Kos, it would be fine if Hillary Clinton were friends with Dick Cheney and seeking his advice.

[seabeyond]

30. Thank you for posting this. I am bookmarking for both my sons, for different reasons.

They will both value what is being said for their own perspectives. Well said, Obama.

[Fawke Em]

38. I hope your sons outgrow you.

[Demsrule86]

31. Thanks

[jillan]

35. Wtf are you talking about? Have you never listened to Obama before???

He has said this many times before

[Lucinda]

36. His full speech - Video and really BAD CC transcript!

http://www.c-span.org/video/?409107-1/president-obama-delivers-commencement-address-howard-university

[Fawke Em]

37. Oh. whhinnne. I don't care that a RINO DEM

keeps negotiating from the middle.

[nolawarlock]

39. This was fabulous ...

... and clearly obvious, despite those in denial, and those aren't in denial are so quick to throw such a great president under the bus.

[CobaltBlue]

49. fun n serious—Here is what President Obama means…

• Sell out.
• Sign on for protecting Wall Street.
• Line your cabinet with Wall Street and corporatist types.
• Sign on for the military industrial complex.
• Try to get cuts against Social Security.
• Ignore unions.
• Develop the Democrats’ next Free Trade plan.
• Make sure that, when your presidency ends, both houses of Congress are in the column for the Republican Party.
• Never admit to the electorate critical to getting you nominated and elected to the presidency of the United States that you are actually a Republican masquerading as a Democrat.


Yes—President Barack Obama has great advice for all “Democratic” presidents who will follow him.

[deepestblue]

50. Re:

More or less a straight line from FDR to LBJ.

More or less a straight line from Reagan to Obama.

It's time for the third seismic shift in direction in the last 80 years.

Bernie.

[Cha]

51. LOve President Obama.. mahalo fun!

[wendylaroux]

79. you support right of center politicains!!?? this is du,watch it now!!!

[JonLeibowitz]

53. This is a warped and twisted reading of Obama's speech

What especially irks me is this:

This is one reason there has been somewhat of a class divide between Bernie and Hillary supporters. The “moral security” Obama refers to is an emotional and intellectual luxury if it doesn’t contribute to substantive change.

It plays nicely into the typical narratives about Bernie's support. It just isn't true. Just take the post-Iowa-caucus reporting. Note, though, it has been borne out through the rest of the primary -- see Massachusetts for a classic example: Bernie won handily with those making under $100k in Massachusetts. Anyway, here's the Iowa analysis:

The big difference is class and income.

In 2008, Mrs. Clinton was pummeled among affluent voters. She lost voters earning more than $100,000 by 41 to 19 percent, according to entrance polls.

This time, she won big among voters making more than $100,000 per year, by 55 to 37 percent.

Mrs. Clinton’s strength among affluent voters is partly because of age: Affluent voters tend to be older, and Mrs. Clinton excels among older voters.

...


But that’s not the whole explanation: Among voters over age 30, she won those making more than $100,000 by a 31-point margin, more than twice her 14-point lead among those making less.

The same story was clear in pre-election polling, both in Iowa and elsewhere.

Her strength in affluent suburbs around Des Moines flipped the Des Moines metro area, which went strongly for Mr. Obama in 2008. It probably played a big part in suppressing Mr. Sanders’s margins in college towns like Iowa City, where Mr. Sanders might have been expected to run as well as Mr. Obama or even better, given his tremendous strength among young voters.

Mr. Sanders’s weakness among affluent voters is potentially a bad sign for his chances. In 2008, voters making more than $100,000 a year represented 25 percent of the national electorate but just 19 percent of Iowa caucus-goers, suggesting that the state may be a relatively good one for a candidate, like Mr. Sanders, who does best among less affluent voters. On Super Tuesday, the most liberal states happen to be particularly affluent ones, like Massachusetts, Colorado, Virginia and Minnesota.

But there is a bright side for Mr. Sanders: To some extent, he compensated for his losses among affluent voters by doing best among lower-income voters. He won white voters making less than $50,000 by nine points, 53 to 44 percent. Mr. Obama had lost white voters making less than $50,000 per year by two percentage points in 2008. Mr. Sanders was nearly as competitive as Mr. Obama across rural Iowa. He even won along the border with Nebraska — the relatively conservative, western part of the state that was basically the one place Mrs. Clinton won in 2008.

I guess the facts just weren't convenient for the Kos diary. Oh well.

[Waiting For Everyman]

56. LOL! Genius? It was idiotic. What a massive load of bullshit!

The lack of logic in this is outlandish, and it continues through his whole talk.

Democracy requires compromise, even when you are 100% right. This is hard to explain sometimes. You can be completely right and you still have to engage folks who disagree with you. If you think that the only way forward is to be as uncompromising as possible, you will feel good about yourself, you will enjoy a certain moral security, but you will not get what you want. If you do not get what you want long enough, you will eventually think the whole system is rigged. That will lead to more cynicism, not participation — and less participation and a downward spiral of more injustice, anger and despair. And that has never been a source of progress. That is how we cheat ourselves of progress.

So because you don't get what you want (your 100% right, stated goals) over and over again, you decide the system is rigged. Not because the system IS rigged. You just THINK it's rigged. Then you get cynical because you just THINK it's rigged, and you cheat yourself out of PROGRESS.



Because as we all know too well, PROGRESS is capitulating at the outset!!!

Yeah, I'll just bet "this is hard to explain sometimes". I'm sure that took a lot of crafting. But I'll tell you what, Mr. President, it isn't hard to see through. Not hard at all!

[apcalc]

57. We have to vote vote vote

Real progress in this country for the people has come from Democratic presidents. Congress and Senate have to absolutely be in Democratic hands.

You name the issue...climate change, equal rights, income re-distribution toward the wealthiest, food and workplace safety, environmental laws, the 'safety net' and on and on, it has been a constant battle to hold back the Republicans from eroding , let alone improving, our lives.

We have got to vote in Democrats. Please vote. It matters.

[the_sly_pig]

59. Actually, I'd go back to the early '90's...

Before the Telecommunications Act was enacted and Glass/Steagall was still law. But then again, maybe I should listen to the banksters that don't want to go to prison, because their opinion matters too.

Third way apologist garbage.

I understand moderates and moderation. But there are indisputable issues. You don't get to discriminate based on gender, race or orientation. No brainer.

It should be illegal to make a profit from people that are sick.

Corporations are not people.

You can't tell people what to do with their own bodies.

You can't dump on the rest of the world and expect them to love you.

I'd vote for Obama again, but to go after Bernie for not accepting the status quo? You're better than that Mr. President. You made promises to get elected, some you kept, some you didn't.

Maybe the first female president will have to be right of center to get elected. That does not mean she'll have to stay there.

[Eric J in MN]

61. Do you think Hillary Clinton as president would be more liberal than she is right now? NT

NT

[the_sly_pig]

65. Obama moved right...

Hillary could move left. I don't expect it, but it could happen. I don't see why not, the Republican party is in shambles.

As a young man I had an idea where the country would be when I got older. I was wrong. I wont live to see a resurgence of 1960's progressivism.

[phleshdef]

60. This wasn't aimed at any candidate. The Kos writer is full of shit.

[Eric J in MN]

63. Bingo. Obama was defending his own administration

...saying that even if he only got incremental change, it's still important change.

[DrDan]

68. BRAVO - spot-on!!!

[Dem2]

70. He's right

Very good article, recommend it highly.

I don't get the need for "Obama let him have it" title of this thread though, it takes away from the seriousness of Obama's words.

[wendylaroux]

76. SHOCKING!!!! two right of centers politicians on the same team!!

I am stunned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[highprincipleswork]

83. Yeah, gonna try and stuff that TPP right down your gullet. How does it feel to be foie gras?

[BuddhaGirl]

86. BIG K & R!!

This is SO spot on...bravo, Mr. President!

[Ash_F]

89. It's been a long road from Hope and Change.

[Broward]

90. Obama is just trying to justify his corporate whoredom.

[AgadorSparticus]

100. And he is absolutely right. All of it. ButI like that BS tugs at the party to move more to the left

Bernie is like the democratic party's conscience. But in reality, I can't see Bernie getting anything done. I know that. There's a lot of people out there that are not democrats that do not subscribe to his/our beliefs. Look at the last 8 years. Congress was just plain obstinate and obstructive to anything Obama tried to do. Even when he compromised.

[BigBearJohn]

102. yes, take advice from the guy who wants to shove TPP down our throats

Bunch of intellectual clap trap

[AgingAmerican]

104. This (compromise) brought us sequestration

Which is a major failure of Obama